Transmission for motor vehicles

Abstract: A multiple-speed ratio transmission mechanism for an automotive vehicle includes a torque input shaft (12), an output shaft (14), an intermediate shaft (16), these three shafts rotatably supported on a common axis, and a countershaft (18) mounted parallel to the other shafts. Multiple pinion-gear pairs (26, 36, 28, 40, 30, 42) are supported on the three coaxial shafts and countershaft. A planetary gear unit (98), including a sun gear (104), ring gear (100), and a set of planet pinions (106) rotatably supported on a carrier (108), has its input connected to the intermediate shaft (16) and the output connected to the output shaft (14). Synchronisers (52, 68, 82) driveably connect a member of the pinion-gear pairs to one of the shafts. A shift mechanism transmits motion of a shift lever (122) to shift forks (146, 148) that move synchroniser sleeves (58, 70, 84) into engagement with the selected gear.

Description: This invention pertains to the arrangement of gears, shafts, and synchronisers of an automotive transmission, especially to such a transmission of the type having a countershaft or layshaft disposed parallel to a power input shaft. When the engine of a motor vehicle is idling and the neutral clutch that connects the engine to a manual transmission is disengaged, the speed of the engine varies as a result of cyclic irregularity intrinsic in the operation of an internal combustion engine. Countershaft manual transmissions for automotive use contain gear sets whose members are in continuous meshing engagement, though the gear selector of the transmission is in the neutral position. When the main drive clutch is engaged and the gear selector is in the neutral position, speed changes of the engine transmitted to the gearset produce noise called "neutral rollover gear rattle." When the engaged gear teeth change position with respect to each other due to engine speed variations, the teeth of the driven gear contact alternately the driving face and the non driving face of the driving pinion. To reduce or eliminate this objectionable noise, various devices have been employed to take up clearances between the faces of the gear and mating pinion. These devices include a wheel coaxially arranged with the gear having similar teeth to those of the gear, and means for elastically maintaining the teeth of the gear in position that is angularly offset relative to the gear. A mechanical spring, usually a helical spring, located radially offset from the axis of the gear, applies a force directed tangentially to the axis tending to rotate the angular element with respect to the gear wheel. Other means such as elastomeric material have been used in the prior art to bias an angular member angularly with respect to a gear to maintain contact between the gear teeth in order to avoid gear rattle. U.S. Patent 4,718, 295 describes the use of a one-way clutch located on the input shaft between a gear wheel and a cylindrical surface of the shaft. The one-way clutch permits a one-way drive connection so that power can be transmitted through the clutch from the input shaft to either of two countershafts when fourth and fifth gear ratios are selected by the vehicle operator. Patent specification DE-A-4 122 628 discloses in accordance with the features of the preamble of claim 1 a vehicle gear transmission providing multiple gear ratios and having an input shaft coupled through a succession of coaxially arranged intermediate shafts and clutches to drive a planetary gear unit. The planetary gear unit in turn is connected to drive an output shaft. A countershaft is arranged in parallel disposition to the input shaft and carries a number of gears which mesh with corresponding pinions on the input shaft and the intermediate shafts. The transmission clutches allow for multiple gear ratios by selectively connecting the pairs of pinions and gears. Further changes in the gear ratios are provided by the planetary gear unit. However this specification has no provision for carrying either member of a pinion gear pair on the output shaft nor any means to selectively operate or bypass the planetary unit. It is an object in the design of a manual transmission to minimise the effort required to make gear ratio changes, i.e., to reduce as much as possible the magnitude of force that must be applied to a shift mechanism to disengage a current gear ratio and to engage a new gear ratio. The magnitude of that force is to a great extent determined by the magnitude of inertia of rotating components that is reflected to the synchroniser units. Minimising the weight of components of a motor vehicle is desired in order to reduce fuel consumption. Various attempts have been made to reduce noise produced by a manual transmission and to reduce rotating inertia of the gears, shafts, synchronisers and other such components. It is an object of the present invention to provide a multiple-speed, motor vehicle transmission having minimum size, weight, and rotating inertia consistent with the requisite torque capacity. Use of a planetary gear unit to produce speed reduction in the lower speed ratios permits the diameters of mating pinions and gears to be smaller than otherwise they would be and helps to reduce the distance between the main shafts and a countershaft. The result is a compact transmission having a high power density, low rotating inertia and low weight. According to the present invention there is now provided a multiple speed transmission for producing multiple speed ratios, comprising: an input shaft; an output shaft substantially coaxial with the input shaft; an intermediate shaft substantially coaxial with the input shaft; a countershaft disposed substantially parallel to and driveably connected to the input shaft; multiple pinion-gear pairs, first and second members of each pair being in continual, mutual meshing engagement, the first member of each pinion-gear pair is supported on the countershaft, the second member of one pinion-gear pair is supported on the input shaft, the second member of another pinion-gear pair is supported on the intermediate shaft, connecting means supported on the intermediate shaft releasably connecting said second member of said another pinion-gear pair thereto, and a planetary gear unit including a sun gear connected to the intermediate shaft, a ring gear fixed against rotation, a pinion carrier driveably connected to the output shaft, and planet pinions supported on the pinion carrier and in continual meshing engagement with the sun and ring gear, the second member of a further pinion-gear pair is supported on the output shaft, and connecting means are supported on the output shaft releasably connecting the second member of the one or the further pinion-gear pair, characterised in that the connecting means have a first synchroniser means carried on the output shaft and located between the pinion of the one pinion-gear pair the pinion of the further pinion-gear pair connecting alternately the pinion of the one and the further pinion-gear pairs to the output shaft and releasing the connections; and a second synchroniser means carried on the intermediate shaft located between the pinion of the another pinion-gear pair and a pinion of a fourth pinion-gear pair connecting alternately the pinion of the another and the fourth pinion-gear pairs to the intermediate shaft and releasing the connections. The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a cross section taken through a vertical plane through the transmission according to this invention; Figure 2 is a diagram representing the location of forward drive and reverse drive positions, among which the gear shift lever is moved to select the desired gear ratios; Figure 3 shows an alternate arrangement of the planetary gear unit in which the ring gear is driven and the sun gear is held; and Figure 4 shows a mechanism for selecting and engaging the gear ratios of the transmission of Figure 1. Referring first to Figure 1, the transmission, which is housed in mating casings, includes an input shaft 12 adapted for drivable connection to a power source such as an internal combustion engine. Located adjacent the input shaft is an output shaft 14 supported rotatably partially on a pocket bearing 15 located in a recess formed on the end of the input shaft. A sleeve shaft 16, aligned coaxially with the output shaft and input shaft, extends along a portion of the length of the output shaft. Bearings 11, 13 support these shafts on the casing 10. A countershaft 18, supported at the transmission casing 10 on bearings 20, 22, is disposed parallel to shafts 12, 14, and 16. The countershaft carries a gear 24 associated with a fourth forward speed ratio; pinions 26, 28, 30, which are members of gear-pinion pairs associated with the third, first and second forward speed ratios; and pinion 32, a member of a creeper/low gear-pinion pair. Pinions 28, 30 are splined to countershaft 18. Input shaft 12 carries a fourth speed ratio pinion 34, which is in continuous meshing engagement with gear 24. Output shaft 14 supports gear 36, which is in continuous engagement with pinion 26, and gear 38, which is in continuous engagement with pinion 32. Shaft 16 supports a first speed ratio gear 40, which continuously meshes with gear 28; and second speed ratio gear 42, which continually meshes with pinion 30. Second speed gear 42 includes a portion 44 that extends along the longitudinal axis on the outer surface of shaft 16 and supports a synchroniser 46 having hub 48, which is splined at 50 to gear 42. Gears 36 and 38 are journalled on the outer surface of output shaft 14; gears 40 and 42 are journalled on the outer surface of shaft 16. A 3-4 synchroniser 52 includes a hub 54 splined at 56 to the outer surface of shaft 14. Synchroniser 52 includes a sleeve 58, which moves rightward and leftward from the neutral position shown in Figure 1 to positions of engagement with dog teeth 60, formed on the outer end of a conical ring 62 fixed to pinion 34, and dog teeth 64, formed on the surface of conical ring 66 fixed to gear 36. When synchroniser sleeve 58 moves leftward, synchroniser 52 connects input shaft 12 to output shaft 14. When sleeve 58 moves rightward, synchroniser 52 driveably connects gear 36 to output shaft 14. Synchroniser 68 includes a sleeve 70 and a hub 72, which is splined at 74 to shaft 16. Sleeve 70 moves leftward into engagement with dog teeth formed on conical ring 76 fixed to gear 38, thereby driveably connecting gear 38 to shaft 16. The reverse drive sprocket wheel 80 is supported rotatably on an axially extending portion of gear 40. Countershaft 18 is formed with a sprocket wheel 94, which is aligned axially with sprocket wheel 80, these sprocket wheels being continually driveably connected by chain belt 96. Sleeve 70 moves rightward into engagement with the dog teeth on conical ring 78 of sprocket wheel 80, thereby driveably connecting reverse sprocket wheel 80 to shaft 16. Reverse drive can be produced instead by gears and a pinion. For example, sheave 94 and chain 96 can be replaced by a reverse pinion fixed to the countershaft at the location of sheave 94, and sheave 80 can be replaced by a reverse gear journalled on shaft 16 at the location of sheave 80. A reverse idler, rotatably supported on the casing and continually meshing with the reverse gear and reverse pinion, operates to reverse the direction of rotation of the reverse gear relative to input shaft 12. U.S. Patent 4,377,093 describes a reverse drive gear mechanism of this type. Synchroniser 82 includes a sleeve 84 having internal spline teeth that engage the dog teeth on synchroniser rings 86 and 88; and a hub 90, which is splined at 92 to the outer surface of shaft 16. When sleeve 84 moves leftward, it engages the dog teeth on conical ring 86 fixed to gear 40, thereby driveably connecting gear 40 to shaft 16. When sleeve 84 moves rightward, gear 42 is driveably connected to shaft 16 and gear 40 is released from shaft 16. Planetary gear unit 98 includes ring gear 100, permanently held against rotation on casing portion 102; sun gear 104, permanently splined to shaft 16; planet pinions 106 in continuously meshing engagement with the ring gear and sun gear; and pinion carrier 108, which rotatably supports the set of planet pinions and is splined at 110 to output shaft 14. In the arrangement of Figure 1, the sun gear is the torque input, the torque reaction is located at the ring gear 100, and the output is taken at the pinion carrier 108 and output shaft 14. Synchroniser 46 includes a sleeve 112 having internal spline teeth that engage the dog teeth 114 on a conical ring, which is driveably connected to pinion carrier 108. When synchroniser sleeve 112 moves rightward, it produces a drivable connection between pinion carrier 108 and second speed ratio gear 42 through spline 50 and hub 48. Figure 3 shows an alternate arrangement of the planetary gear unit 98' in which shaft 16' is driveably connected to ring gear 100' so that the ring gear and shaft 16' turn as a unit. Sun gear 104' is held against rotation on transmission casing 102'. Carrier 108' is driveably connected to output shaft 14' and rotatably supports a set of planet pinions 106', which are in continuous meshing engagement with the ring gear and sun gear. In this arrangement, the ring gear 100' is driven, the torque reaction is provided at the sun gear 104', and the output is taken on the carrier 108' and output shaft 14'. The transmission casing includes a casing portion 120, which supports a shift lever 122 that moves among the gear selector positions shown in Figure 2. Casing portion 120 supports a ball 124, through which shift lever 122 extends, thereby providing a universal pivoting support for the shift lever. A leaf spring 126 biases the shift lever to a particular predetermined position when the vehicle operator is not manipulating the shift lever. Preferably, the leaf spring biases the shift lever toward the neutral position in the 1-2 shift plane of Figure 2. A seal 128 protects against passage of contaminants into housing 120, cover 130 closes the upper portion of the shift lever, and snap ring 132 maintains the position of the shift lever relative to the cover. A shift rail 134, supported slidably for movement along its axis within bores formed on the casing 10, carries a pin 136 that extends radially into a system of interconnected slots formed in a gate plate 138, the slots defining the 1-2, 3-4, R-CL, and OD vertical planes and the horizontal neutral plane shown in Figure 2. A gate plate and pin combination of this type is described and illustrated in U.S. Patent 4,297,910, whose assignee is the owner of the present invention. Pinned to shift rail 134 is a socket 140 having a bore 142, into which a spherical ball 144 located at the end of the shift lever is fitted. Shift rail 134 carries several shift forks 146, 148, and other forks not shown in Figure 1, but illustrated in Figure 4. Each shift fork engages a synchroniser sleeve 58, 70, 84, 112, thereby transmitting movement of the shift lever through socket 140, the shift fork associated with the selected ratio, and the appropriate synchroniser sleeve. Rail 134 carries a radially directed finger 150 and an interlock sleeve 152, which is held by bolt 154 against displacement along the axis of rail 134. Each shift fork includes an arm that extends to the vicinity of bolt 154 or bolt 192 and provides a slot aligned with the radial path of the shift fingers 150 or 180 as it rotates about the axis of shift rail 134 due to displacement of the shift selector 122 along the neutral horizontal plane of the diagram of Figure 2. When a selector finger rotates into engagement with a slot on a shift fork corresponding to the position of the selected gear ratio, the shift fork is subsequently moved axially causing the associated synchroniser sleeve to engage and to connect the selected gear, pinion, sleeve, or carrier with the shaft on which the hub of the corresponding synchroniser is supported. The mechanism that transmits movement of the gear shift lever to the components of the transmission that engage and release the selected gear ratios is shown in greater detail in Figure 4. In addition to the components of the shift mechanism described with reference to Figure 1 above, the mechanism includes a lower shift rail 170, which is journalled at the left-hand side on casing 10, and at the right-hand side on a web 172 formed integrally with casing 10. Rail 170 carries a 1-2 shift fork 174, which is in continuous engagement with an annular recess 176 formed on the outer surface of the 1-2 synchroniser sleeve 84. Bracket 178, fixed to the an inner surface of casing 10, provides a pivotal support 180 for a shift lever 182 that extends between lower rail 170 and control rail 134. At the lower end of the lever, a slotted hole 184 receives a pin 186, which extends radially from the axis of rail 170 and fits within hole 184 with a close fit along the axis of the lower rail and with a slotted fit in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the lower rail. The upper end of lever 182 is engageable by a finger 188, which extends radially from the axis of control rail 134 and rotates into engagement with the upper end of lever 182 when control rail 134 is rotated about its axis. Finger 188 moves along the axis of rail 134 during movement of shift lever 122, thereby pivoting lever 182 and displacing lower rail 170, the 1-2 shift fork 174, and synchroniser sleeve 84. This action moves the 1-2 synchroniser 82 into and out of drivable engagement with first speed gear 40 and second speed gear 42. Control rail 134 supports a 3-4 shift fork 190, which is in continuous engagement with an annular slot on the outer surface of the 3-4 synchroniser sleeve 58. As control rail 134 rotates about its axis, shift finger 188 moves into engagement with fork 190 and then moves synchroniser sleeve 58 along the axis of rail 134 in response to movement of the shift selector 122. This action engages and releases a connection between output shaft 14 and third speed gear 36 or fourth speed pinion 34. Second interlock bolt 192, similar to bolt 154, holds an interlock sleeve 194, which surrounds rail 134, against axial displacement. The shift mechanism interlock described in U.S. Patent 4,377,093 is substantially identical to the interlock described here with reference to the shift control rail 134. In operation, the lowest gear ratio, creeper/low, is produced by the transmission when synchroniser sleeve 70 is moved leftward, thereby driveably connecting creeper/low gear 38 to shaft 16. The torque delivery path includes input shaft 12, pinion 34, gear 24, countershaft 18, pinion 32, gear 38, synchroniser 68, shaft 16, planetary gear unit 98, carrier 108, and output shaft 14. The planetary gear unit produces a speed reduction between shaft 10 and output shaft 14 in addition to the speed reduction produced by pinion-gear 34, 24 and pinion gear 32, 38 between input shaft 12 and shaft 16. The first forward gear ratio is produced by moving sleeve 84 of synchroniser 82 leftward into engagement with the dog teeth of first speed gear 40 and moving the other synchronisers to the neutral position. The torque delivery path between the input shaft and output shaft, which produces a slight speed increase through the main drive gearset that includes pinion 34 and gear 24, includes also countershaft 18, pinion 28, gear 40, synchroniser 82, shaft 16, planetary gear unit 98, and carrier 108, which drives output shaft 14. The second forward speed ratio is produced when synchroniser sleeve 84 is moved rightward to connect the second speed gear 42 and shaft 16 while maintaining the other synchronisers in their neutral positions. The torque delivery path includes the main drive, pinion 34 and gear 24, countershaft 18, second ratio pinion 30, second ratio gear 42, synchroniser 82, shaft 16, planetary gear unit 98, and carrier 108, which drives the output shaft 14. The third forward gear ratio results when synchroniser sleeve 58 is moved rightward to driveably connect third ratio gear 36 to output shaft 14. The torque delivery path includes input shaft 12, pinion 34, gear 24, countershaft 18, pinion 26, gear 36, synchroniser 52, and output shaft 14. The transmission produces the fourth speed ratio, a direct drive connection between the input shaft and output shaft when synchroniser sleeve 58 is moved leftward. This action produces a drive connection between the clutch teeth 60 on synchroniser ring 62, which is formed integrally with input shaft 12, and output shaft 14, through synchroniser hub 54 and spline connection 56. The fifth forward speed ratio, an overdrive ratio, is produced by moving synchroniser sleeve 112 rightward into engagement with planetary pinion carrier 114, thereby driveably connecting gear 42 and the output shaft 14 through synchroniser 46 and carrier 108. The torque delivery path includes input shaft 12, main drive pinion 34, gear 24, countershaft 18, second ratio pinion 30, second ratio gear 42, synchroniser 46, carrier 108, and output shaft 14. The reverse drive ratio is produced by moving synchroniser sleeve 70 rightward into engagement with the dog teeth on cone ring 78 formed integrally with reverse output sheave 80. When synchroniser sleeve 70 engages the reverse sheave 80, it completes a drive connection between sheave 80 and shaft 16, which drives sun gear 104. The output is taken at pinion carrier 108 and output shaft 14. The torque delivery path for reverse drive includes input shaft 12, main drive pinion 34, gear 24, countershaft 18, reverse input sheave 94, chain 96, reverse output sheave 80, synchroniser 68, shaft 16, pinion carrier 108, and output shaft 14.

Claims: A multiple speed transmission producing multiple speed ratios, comprising: an input shaft (12) and an output shaft (14) substantially coaxial with the input shaft; an intermediate shaft (16) substantially coaxial with the input shaft a countershaft (18) disposed substantially parallel to and driveably connected to the input shaft; multiple pinion-gear pairs, first and second members of each pair being in continual, mutual meshing engagement, the first member of each pinion-gear pair is supported on the countershaft, the second member (34) of one pinion-gear pair (34/24) is supported on the input shaft (12), the second member (40) of another pinion-gear pair (40/28) is supported on the intermediate shaft, connecting means (82) supported on the intermediate shaft releasably connecting said second member (40) of said another pinion-gear pair (40/28) thereto, and a planetary gear unit including a sun gear (104) connected to the intermediate shaft, a ring gear (100) fixed against rotation, a pinion carrier (108) driveably connected to the output shaft, and planet pinions (106) supported on the pinion carrier and in continual meshing engagement with the sun and ring gear, the second member (36) of a further pinion-gear pair (36/26) is supported on the output shaft, and connecting means (52) are supported on the output shaft releasably connecting the second member (34 or 36) of the one or the further pinion-gear pair, characterised in that the connecting means have a first synchroniser means (52) carried on the output shaft (14) and located between the pinion (34) of the one pinion-gear pair (34/24) and the pinion (36) of the further pinion-gear pair (36/26) connecting alternately the pinion of the one and the further pinion-gear pairs to the output shaft and releasing the connections; and a second synchroniser means (82) carried on the intermediate shaft located between the pinion (40) of the another pinion-gear pair (40/28) and a pinion (42) of a fourth pinion-gear pair (42/30) connecting alternately the pinion of the another and the fourth pinion-gear pairs to the intermediate shaft and releasing the connections. A transmission as claimed in claim 1, wherein a reverse drive mechanism is provided including first and second driveably connected members (94,80) supported on the countershaft and intermediate shaft, respectively. A transmission as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the pinion (34) of the one pinion-gear pair (34/24) is supported on the input shaft to rotate therewith, the gear (24) meshing therewith is fixed to the countershaft, and the connecting means (52) releasably connects the pinion to the output shaft and releases said connection. A transmission as claimed in claim 4, wherein a third synchroniser means (68) is carried on the intermediate shaft, located between a pinion (38) of a fifth pinion-gear pair (38/32) and a reverse drive sprocket wheel (80) of the reverse drive mechanism to connect alternatively the pinion (38) and the reverse drive sprocket wheel to the intermediate shaft and releasing said connections. A transmission as claimed in claim 1 or 3, wherein a synchroniser (46) is supported on the pinion (42) of the fourth pinion-gear pair (42/30) and includes a coupling element (112) adapted to driveably connect and release the pinion (42) and the pinion carrier (108).

Inventors: JANSON DAVID ALLEN, THOMAS STEVEN GERALD, JANSON, DAVID ALLEN, THOMAS, STEVEN GERALD
Applicants: FORD FRANCE, FORD MOTOR CO, FORD WERKE AG, FORD FRANCE S. A., FORD MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED, FORD-WERKE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Application year: 1994
Main classification: F16H37
IPC codes: F16H37, F16H3